Pre-orders for both tablets are under way in the US, with the Surface 2 being sold at $449 (£280) and the Surface Pro 2 bearing an $899 (£560) price tag. Orders are expected to be shipped on October 21.

The two devices will be available in China in November, and are expected to be made available in other countries before 2014, but pre-orders and pricing for the UK are yet to be announced.

Microsoft's original Surface tablet did not fare well commercially, forcing the company to write off almost $1 billion in unsold stock.